Coronavirus: Red Cross and Red Crescent seek 800 million Swiss francs to help vulnerable communities
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (PANA) - The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement launched a revised emergency appeal on Thursday for 800 million Swiss francs (US$823 million) to help the world's most vulnerable communities to stem the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and recover from its effects.
According to the president of the International Federation, Francesco Rocca, "this pandemic endangers entire health systems, and the situation will worsen in regions where these systems are weak or even non-existent".
He added: Strong community measures must be taken to stem the virus. COVID-19 affects everyone, but migrants and displaced persons, the homeless and residents of disaster-prone areas are among those most at risk of the disease, those least able to access health care and most affected by loss of income."
Rocca stressed that support for the Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers, who are on the front line of operations, needs to be strengthened.
The International Federation is seeking to raise 550 million Swiss francs (US$566 million) to help National Societies provide health care, prepositioning of goods, risk communicate, lessons learned from the global network of local responders, cash grants for families and mitigating impacts of large outbreaks.
Of the 550 million Swiss francs, 150 million will go to the International Federation to support National Societies in need, while the remaining 400 million will be raised by National Societies at the national level.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) seeks to raise 250 million Swiss francs ($256 million) to meet needs in contexts of conflict and violence, support medical establishments and places of detention with a view to containing the spread and guaranteeing displaced persons and prisoners access to medical care, and providing support to the intervention efforts of the National Societies.
ICRC President Peter Maurer says the international community must now step up support for communities whose resources are paralysed by conflict if another humanitarian disaster is to be added to the countless crises of which these war-torn communities have already been victims.
Work being carried out by the Movement includes support for National Societies to strengthen their health care services, as well as community mobilization and the preparation of vulnerable populations for a pandemic.
The two institutions say a coordinated society-wide approach, with funding and support within and between countries, will be needed to stem the rapid spread of the pandemic globally.
The impacts of COVID-19 will be felt everywhere, but the most vulnerable people are at especially high risk. Governments, individuals, communities, institutions and donors must work together at all levels to mitigate the health crisis's devastating impacts.
The Movement brings together the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (International Federation), and the 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
-0- PANA BAL/TBM/KND/MA 27March2020
